How to change your keyboard in Windows 8

Your PC probably came with a standard English QWERTY layout, but that doesn't mean you're stuck with it. Switching between keyboards in Windows 8 is a cinch, once you've added the keyboards you want to toggle between.

Here's how to add additional keyboard layouts in Windows 8, so you can switch up your language or try an alternative layout:

First, open the Charms bar and tap Settings. In the lower right corner, tap Change PC Settings.

The Region and language menu.
Screenshot by Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

In the PC Settings menu, tap Time and language and then tap Region and language.

Tap a language to open the Options menu.
Screenshot by Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

If the language of the keyboard you want to use is already there, tap the language and tap Options. Under Keyboards, tap Add a keyboard.

Add a keyboard here.
Screenshot by Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

You'll be presented with a list of keyboards for that language. Tap the keyboard you would like to use, and then exit the Settings menu.

If the language of the keyboard you want to use is not already in the Region and language menu, tap Add a language and choose the language you want to add.

Toggle between keyboards using the Windows key spacebar.
Screenshot by Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

To use your new keyboard, hold down the Windows key and click the spacebar to cycle through your installed keyboards. You can also click the keyboard icon in the systems tray on the taskbar and choose your keyboard from a list.